d pickings after I am dead, and a man could make some
kind of a book out of it, without much trouble. So for God's sake
don't lose them, and they will prove a piece of provision for 'my
floor old family,' as Simele calls it."

But their great charm remains: they are as free and gracious and serious
and playful and informal as before. Stevenson's traits of character are
all here: his largeness of heart, his delicacy, his sympathy, his fun,
his pathos, his boylike frolicsomeness, his fine courage, his love of the
sea (for he was by nature a sailor), his passion for action and adventure
despite his ill-health, his great patience with others and fine
adaptability to their temper (he says that he never gets out of temper
with those he has to do with), his unbounded, big-hearted hopefulness,
and fine perseverance in face of difficulties. What could be better than
the way in which he tells that in January, 1892, when he had a bout of
influenza and was dictating _St Ives_ to his stepdaughter, Mrs Strong, he
was "reduced to dictating to her in the deaf-and-dumb alphabet"?--and
goes on:

"The amanuensis has her head quite turned, and believes herself to be
the author of this novel [_and is to some extent_.--A.M.] and as the
creature (!) has not been wholly useless in the matter [_I told you
so_!--A.M.] I propose to foster her vanity by a little commemoration
gift! . . . I shall tell you on some other occasion, and when the A.M.
is out of hearing, how _very_ much I propose to invest in this
testimonial; but I may as well inform you at once that I intend it to
be cheap, sir--damned cheap! My idea of running amanuenses is by
praise, not pudding, flattery, and not coins."

Truly, a rare and rich nature which could thus draw sunshine out of its
trials!--which, by aid of the true philosopher's stone of cheerfulness
and courage, could transmute the heavy dust and clay to gold.

His interests are so wide that he is sometimes pulled in different and
conflicting directions, as in the contest between his desire to aid
Mataafa and the other chiefs, and his literary work--between letters to
the _Times_ about Samoan politics, and, say, _David Balfour_. Here is a
characteristic bit in that strain:

"I have a good dose of the devil in my pipestem atomy; I have had my
little holiday outing in my kick at _The Young Chevalier_, and I guess
I can settle to _David Balfour_, to-morrow or Friday lik